Reusable envelope

Abstract

A reusable envelope includes first, second and third panels, the first panel being joined to the second panel along a definition line and the second panel being joined to the third panel along a fold line. The second panel has a first tear line spaced from the fold line by a predetermined distance to define a first area and the third panel has a second tear line spaced from the fold line by the predetermined distance to define a second area. The first and second panels are folded along the definition line, and the second and third panels are folded along the fold line such that the first and second tear lines are collinear, the first area being sealed to the second area to define a tear strip that is removable along the collinear tear lines to at least partially create a second envelope for remailing.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A reusable envelope comprising: 
 a plurality of panels including at least a first flap panel, a front panel and a rear panel, each being generally rectangular and at least the first flap panel and the front panel being similar in size, the first flap panel being joined to the front panel along a transverse definition line and the rear panel being joined to the front panel along a transverse first fold line;    a generally rectangular second flap panel joined to the rear panel along a transverse second fold line, the second flap panel having a transverse first edge;    the first flap panel having a transverse second edge and a transverse first weakened tear line spaced from the second edge;    the rear panel having a transverse second weakened tear line spaced from the first fold line by a first distance, the first tear line on the first flap panel being spaced from the second edge by no more than the first distance;    the front panel having a transverse third weakened tear line spaced from the first fold line by the first distance,    wherein the rear panel is folded with respect to the front panel along the first fold line, and the first flap panel is folded with respect to the front panel along the definition line, such that the first, second and third tear lines are collinear to form the reusable envelope for a first mailing, and    wherein a tear strip is formed of at least three areas including an area on the first flap panel between the second edge and the first tear line, an area on the front panel between the third tear line and the first fold line, and an area on the rear panel between the first fold line and the second tear line;    a first adhesive area separate from the tear strip for sealing the front panel to the rear panel to form an envelope pocket within the reusable envelope; and    a second adhesive area,    wherein after the tear strip has been removed along the collinear tear lines, the envelope pocket has an open top at the second fold line, and the second flap panel is sealable to the front panel by the second adhesive area for closing the top of the envelope pocket to form a second envelope for a second mailing.    
     
     
         2 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive area is filled entirely with an adhesive.  
     
     
         3 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the second adhesive area is filled entirely with an adhesive.  
     
     
         4 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the first flap panel and the front panel are equal in a lengthwise direction and the first tear line on the first flap panel is spaced from the second edge by the first distance.  
     
     
         5 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , where the first flap panel is shorter in a lengthwise direction than the first flap panel by less than the first distance and the first tear line on the first flap panel is spaced from the second edge by less than the first distance.  
     
     
         6 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the area on the first flap panel forming part of the tear strip bears an adhesive for sealing the reusable envelope for the first mailing.  
     
     
         7 . The reusable envelope of  claim 6 , wherein the area on the first flap panel forming part of the tear strip is filled entirely with the adhesive.  
     
     
         8 . The reusable envelope of  claim 6 , wherein the adhesive is a remoistenable adhesive.  
     
     
         9 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 opposed left and right lateral definition lines extending from the second edge of the first flap panel to the first edge of the second flap panel, the left lateral definition line being spaced from left lateral edges of at least the first flap and rear panels by a second distance, and the right lateral definition line being spaced from right lateral edges of at least the first flap and rear panels by the second distance,    wherein a second tear strip is formed of at least areas on the first flap and rear panels between the respective left lateral edges and the left lateral definition line,    wherein a third tear strip is formed of at least areas on the first flap and rear panels between the respective right lateral edges and the right lateral definition line, and    wherein at least the first flap and rear panels are joined along their lateral edges to form the reusable envelope.    
     
     
         10 . The reusable envelope of  claim 9 , wherein each of the left and right lateral definition lines is a weakened tear line.  
     
     
         11 . The reusable envelope of  claim 9 , wherein the rear panel includes first and second left transverse cut lines each extending from the left lateral edge to the left lateral definition line and first and second right transverse cut lines each extending from the right lateral edge to the right lateral definition line, 
 wherein each of the left and right lateral definition lines is respectively formed of a first weakened tear line portion from the second edge to the respective first cut line, a second weakened tear portion from the respective second cut line to the first edge and a fold line portion from the respective first cut line to the respective second cut line,    wherein an area from the left lateral edge to the left fold line portion and from the first left cut line to the second left cut line forms a left side flap separate from the second tear strip, and    wherein an area from the right lateral edge to the right fold line portion and from the first right cut line to the second right cut line forms a right side flap separate from the third tear strip,    the left and right side flaps being folded in the reusable envelope along the respective fold line portions to close the sides of the reusable envelope.    
     
     
         12 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the tear lines are formed by perforations.  
     
     
         13 . The reusable envelope of  claim 12 , wherein the perforations are slit perforations.  
     
     
         14 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the first edge of the second flap panel is a fourth weakened tear line, the reusable envelope further comprising at least one contents panel including a first contents panel having opposed transverse third and fourth edges, the first contents panel being joined at its third edge to the first edge of the second flap panel, the first contents panel being within the reusable envelope.  
     
     
         15 . The reusable envelope of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 opposed left and right lateral definition lines extending from the second edge of the first flap panel to the fourth edge of the contents panel, the left lateral definition line being spaced from left lateral edges of at least the first flap and rear panels by a second distance, and the right lateral definition line being spaced from right lateral edges of at least the first flap and rear panels by the second distance,    wherein a second tear strip is formed of at least areas on the first flap and rear panels between the respective left lateral edges and the left lateral definition line,    wherein a third tear strip is formed of at least areas on the first flap and rear panels between the respective right lateral edges and the right lateral definition line, and    wherein at least the first flap and rear panels are joined along their lateral edges to form the reusable envelope.    
     
     
         16 . The reusable envelope of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one contents panel further includes an additional contents panel joined to the first contents panel along the fourth edge, the additional contents panel being within the reusable envelope.  
     
     
         17 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one contents panel including a first contents panel having opposed transverse third and fourth edges, the first contents panel being joined at its third edge to the second edge of the first flap panel, the first contents panel being within the reusable envelope.  
     
     
         18 . The reusable envelope of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 opposed left and right lateral definition lines extending from the fourth edge of the contents panel to the first edge of the second flap panel, the left lateral definition line being spaced from left lateral edges of at least the first flap and rear panels by a second distance, and the right lateral definition line being spaced from right lateral edges of at least the first flap and rear panels by the second distance,    wherein a second tear strip is formed of at least areas on the first flap and rear panels between the respective left lateral edges and the left lateral definition line,    wherein a third tear strip is formed of at least areas on the first flap and rear panels between the respective right lateral edges and the right lateral definition line, and    wherein at least the first flap and rear panels are joined along their lateral edges to form the reusable envelope.    
     
     
         19 . The reusable envelope of  claim 17 , the at least one contents panel further including an additional contents panel joined to the first contents panel along the fourth edge, the additional contents panel being within the reusable envelope.  
     
     
         20 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the definition line is a fourth transverse weakened tear line, the first flap panel being separable from the front panel along the fourth tear line.  
     
     
         21 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the definition line is a third transverse fold line, 
 the first flap panel having a fourth transverse weakened tear line spaced from the third fold line by the first distance,    the front panel having a fifth transverse weakened tear line spaced from the third fold line by the first distance, and    the tear strip further being formed of an area on the first flap panel between the third fold line and the fourth tear line and an area on the front panel between the fifth tear line and the third fold line.    
     
     
         22 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the rear panel is similar in size to the first flap panel.  
     
     
         23 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the rear panel is similar in size to the first flap panel in its transverse direction and is shorter than the first flap panel in its lengthwise direction by at least the first distance.  
     
     
         24 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the second adhesive area bears a remoistenable adhesive.  
     
     
         25 . The reusable envelope of  claim 1 , wherein the first adhesive area is a Ushaped area having a top at the top of the envelope pocket.  
     
     
         26 . A reusable envelope comprising: 
 a plurality of panels including first, second and third panels each being generally rectangular and at least the second and third panels being similar in size,    the first panel being joined to the second panel along a transverse definition line and the second panel being joined to the third panel along a transverse fold line,    the second panel having a first transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the second panel and spaced from the fold line by a predetermined distance to define a first area between the first tear line and the fold line, and    the third panel having a second transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the third panel and spaced from the fold line by the predetermined distance to define a second area between the second tear line and the fold line,    wherein the first panel is folded with respect to the second panel along the definition line, and    wherein the second panel is folded with respect to the third panel along the fold line such that the first and second tear lines are collinear, the first area being sealed to the second area to define a tear strip that is removable along the collinear tear lines to at least partially create a second envelope for remailing.    
     
     
         27 . The reusable envelope of  claim 26 , wherein the second panel has a third transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the second panel and spaced from the first tear line in a direction away from the fold line by a second predetermined distance to define a third area between the first tear line and the third tear line, and the third panel has a fourth transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the third panel and spaced from the second tear line in a direction away from the fold line by the second predetermined distance to define a fourth area between the second tear line and the fourth tear line, the third and fourth tear lines being collinear, and the fourth area being sealed to the third area to define a second tear strip that is removable along the collinear third and fourth tear lines to open the second envelope.  
     
     
         28 . The reusable envelope of  claim 26 , wherein the definition line is a third weakened tear line.  
     
     
         29 . The reusable envelope of  claim 26 , wherein the first panel has a transverse edge opposed to the definition line and a third transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the first panel and spaced from the edge by the predetermined distance to define a third area between the edge and the third tear line, the third tear line being collinear with the first and second tear lines and the third area forming part of the tear strip.  
     
     
         30 . The reusable envelope of  claim 29 , wherein the second panel has a fourth transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the second panel and spaced from the first tear line in a direction away from the fold line by a second predetermined distance to define a fourth area from the first tear line to the fourth tear line, and the third panel has a fifth transverse weakened tear line extending entirely across the third panel and spaced from the second tear line in a direction away from the fold line by the second predetermined distance to define a fifth area from the second tear line to the fifth tear line, the fourth and fifth tear lines being collinear, and the fourth area being sealed to the fifth area to define a second tear strip that is removable along the collinear fourth and fifth tear lines to open the second envelope.